Governor Herbert vetoes HB76

On Friday, Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert took action on bills recently passed by the 2013 Utah State Legislature. According to a press release from the Governor’s Office, he signed several bills into law and vetoed HB76S1, the Concealed Weapon Carry Amendments.

"The right to bear arms is a fundamental right which must be jealously protected," wrote the Governor in his letter to House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart and Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, where he stated his reasons for vetoing the bill. "HB 76S1 does not, however, impose a restriction on the right to bear arms. Rather, it removes an existing provision of Utah law that those who carry a concealed weapon obtain a permit. Utah’s permitting system has been in place for decades, and in its current form for more than 15 years. In that time, it has become a national model."

"As a gun owner and concealed firearm permit holder, I understand the value of the permit, both to firearm owners and to the public at large," Governor Herbert wrote. "As a State, we must exercise extreme care that we not impose undue burdens on the right to bear arms, but I have yet to receive any credible evidence that Utah’s current permit process constitutes a hardship."

Governor Herbert signed the following 2013 bills:

H.B. 15 Second Substitute-State Park Access Amendments

H.B. 16 Disposal of Certain Surplus Property

H.B. 56 Behavioral Health Care Workforce Amendments

H.B. 57 Mental and Behavioral Health Amendments

H.B. 58 First Substitute Protection of Athletes with Head Injuries Act Amendments

H.B. 67 First Substitute Property Taxation Revisions

H.B. 69 Second Substitute Expungement of Records

S.B. 17 First Substitute Account for People with Disabilities Amendments